Garment-pressing underlays



Aug. 5, 1958 w. SCHMITZ GARMENT-PRESSING UNDERLAYS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. l. 1954 Mire/froh WERNER SCH/Vl TZ.

A fron/ve Y.:

W. SCHMITZ GARMENT-PRESSING UNDERLAYS A'ug. 5, 195s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. l. 1954 /NVFNOR WERNER 6 C HM/ TZ fd* BY /mw g A TTORNEYS United States Patent GARMENT-PRESSING UNDERLAYS Werner Schmitz, Mettmann, Germany, assgnor to Peter Wolters, Mettmann, Germany, a corporation of Germany Application October 1, 1954, Serial No. 459,811

1 Claim. (Cl. 38-140) This invention relates to an improvement in the process of manufacturing garment-pressing underlays described and claimed in patent application Serial No. 290,281, now .Patent No.- 2,746,182, which underlays can be used in particular in the form of a sheet as a cover for the pressing platen of a garment-pressing machine, and also as a pressing tunderlay during hand-pressing and in the form of a strip as a cover for calender rollers.

Single or multiple layers of fabric provided with card teeth, needles or projecting Wires have already been used as underlays for the upper and lower platens of garmentpressing machines.

It has been found that a construction of garmentpressing equipment fitted with teeth can be used to particular advantage for the said purposes in a form in which the fabric base is impregnated with a substance which hardens at room temperature, and by means of Which the fabric base is stitfened in such a manner that the teeth projecting on the pressing side are held immovable while at the same time avoiding changes in the shape of the garment-pressing underlay on the garment-pressing machine, such as sagging, when attached to the upper platen.

It has now been found that, for Igarment-pressing sheets for hand operation and vwhen resilient garmentpressing underlays are used, including those for machine operation, resins, synthetic resins or mixtures which are converted into completely rigid forms or stii forms which resist any deformation should not be chosen for impregnating the layers of material carrying the card teeth, but impregnatng substances, particularly synthetic substances or mixtures of substances which still retain a certain resilience and exibility after setting, so that an underlay prepared in this manner always lies ilat on the ironing table by its own weight, even at high temperatures. The embodiment according to the invention also oiers the advantage that such an underlay can be curved on lthe actual articles being pressed, which may be pulled -on a dummy, for example, so that lapels, collars and similar parts of the articles being pressed can be treated under conditions approximating closely to those in which the `garment or the like is worn. Y

At the same time, the garment pressing underlays treated according to the invention have the advantage, in comparison with a non-impregnated fabric base equipped with card teeth, that the pressing underlay treated according to the invention does not buckle under the inuence of moisture and steam, and is also considerably more resistant to mechanical strain. The card teeth are also considerably more rmly and securely mounted in a garment-pressing underlay treated and impregnated according to the invention and cannot -be pushed out at the Iback so easily as in an untreated pressing underlay.

The fabric base can be impregnated before, during or after the insertion of the card teeth. The important thing is that the card teeth are inserted at such a time that they come into contact with the still -uid impregnant which then surrounds the teeth and holds them after it 2,845,727'. Patented Aug. `5, 1958 ice has set. vIf necessary, the surface of the .teeth can be specially roughened in .order to bring about a particularlyv In this case a -grid-like or sieve-like base plate provided with perforations may conveniently be used to carry out the work, the pressing sheet accordingto the invention `being placed thereon in such a manner that the card teeth project upwards. Then the steam produced during the damp pressing does not remain hemmed in between the needles as with a normal pressing sheet so that it tends to linger in the ironing board, but instead it immediately passes out into the open air through the steam outlets when the work is done. Apart from a considerably longer life, this offers important advantages in comparison with a non-impregnated sheet, particularly quicker drying of the goods being pressed, thus in turn ensuring that the pressed facings, seams and the like will last longer and hang better after a shorter pressing time, with a corresponding reduction in costs.

In practical tests with such pressing sheets it was also found that new advantages were achieved if the reinforcing members of the underlay on the opposite platen, such as card teeth, wires, brushes, synthetic libres, riveted spring lamellae, `or lthe like, are made resilient and are arranged so that they urge the goods being pressed evenly against the pressing instrument avoiding pressure spots in spite of different heights land thicknesses, while at the same time compensating for projections such as collars, linings, buttons, slide fasteners andthe like on the goods being pressed.

An advantage of using such a resilient elastic formation of the reinforcement of the garment pressing underlay is that the generally increased resilience of the underlay makes gentle and close-fitting treatment of the goods possible during pressing.

Numerous other advantages can be achieved by special for-mations of the resilient fittings. For example a suitable forrnation of the fabric base is obtained if a suitable number of 4layers of fabric of suitable thickness are soaked with a mixture of about one part triphenylmethanetriisocyanate or C-H(C6H5-N=C=O)3 with one part adhesive on .a polyisothionate base, in the form of a solution in methylene chloride, after mounting the card teeth, and the impregnated layer of material is left to stiien.

If necessary a 11/2 mm. thick layer of fabric, felt or asbestos can also be placed over the backs or tips of the card teeth stuck into the material.

If necessary a fabric base can also be used which is not impregnated but in which the individual layers of cloth have been stuck together with a suitable adhesive such as a rubber adhesive or with mixtures of suitable adhesives. (For instance By 176/1, which is a synthetic resinous adhesive manufactured by the firm of Farbenfabriken Bayer, of Leverkusen, Germany, or "a mixture of By 17 6/ I With va smaller quantity of By 176/II-TH can be employed, the latter substance being another synthetic resinous adhesive manufactured by the aforesaid firm.) In this case, the adhesives should be used in the heated, most highly fluid state. They then soak into the layers so that, after setting, the teeth are rmly held and the layers can be treated, for example by drilling holes. If necessary, a thin layer of felt or asbestos can be glued on the back after the teeth have been inserted.

The underlay reinforced with card teeth in this manner may conveniently be provided with holes for the passage of steam, which may he arranged, for example, between the rows of teeth and spaced apart.

`Wire lwith good spring properties, e. g. cast-steel wire, brass wire, and the like, is particularly suitable for the actual card teeth. Special stop pins may be provided 'to prevent bending of the card teeth as a result of excessive compression of the platen of a garment pressing machine. The sheets should not be too thickly studded with teeth.

Various embodiments of garment-pressing sheets according to the invention, and their reinforcement with card teeth, are hereinafter described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

'Figure l shows, partly in section, partly in elevation, the use of a garment-pressing sheet constructed according 'to the invention, Without steam outlets, for hand pressing;

Figure 2 shows, likewise partly in section, partly in elevation, the use of a garment pressing sheet, with steam outlets, constructed according to the invention, in conjunction with a supporting grid;

Figure 3 isa side view of a section of a garmentpressing underlay with card teeth;

Figure 4 is a front view of the underlay shown in Figure 3;

Figures 5 and 6 are front and side views respectively of a modilied embodiment of a garment-pressing underlay, and

Figures 7 and 8, 9 and 10, l1 and 12, 13 and 14 and l5, 16 and 17 also illustrate front and side views of various garment-pressing underlays with resilient card teeth.

In Figure l the numeral 1 represents a table top on which is placed a garment-pressing sheet 2 which is reinforced with projecting card teeth or wires 3. The material 4 to be pressed is spread over the card teeth, and may conveniently be covered with a damp ironing cloth 5, on which the hot iron 6 used for pressing is placed.

It is shown that, in comparison with work without a pressing sheet, this application of the garment-pressing sheet according to the invention produces completely matt pressing, with better pressing etfect and a considerable saving in time, whilst preventing any wrinkling of the carrier layer for the teeth.

As shown in Figure 2, a table top 7 has placed on it a grid consisting of longitudinal rods 8, transverse rods 9 and feet 10. On this grid is placed a garment-pressing sheet 11, constructed according to the invention, reinforced with card teeth 12 and provided with steam outlets 13. The material 14 to be pressed is again placed on the card teeth 12 and covered with a damp ironing cloth 15 and treated with an iron 16. With this arrangement the steam produced can nd its way down through the apertures 13 into a hollow space 17 between the grid and the top of the table, and can escape freely, thus achieving the advantages already mentioned.

In Figures 3 and 4, the reference numeral 1S refers to a garment-pressing underlay consisting of one or more layers of fabric which may be impregnated or stuck together, in which underlay are inserted card teeth 19 of such a length that the distance between the .tips and the inner surface of the garment pressing underlay amounts to about 15 to 20 mm. In order to give the teeth the required resilient elasticity, they are stuck into the pressing underlay, or bent above it, in such a manner that the upper part of the teeth forms an angle of 30 to 45 degrees with the plane of the underlay. This angle may vary considerably, however, according to the length of the teeth, which also determines their elasticity, and according to the particular application intended.

According to Figures 5 'and 6, the tips of the teeth 20 are provided with spherical thickenings or beads 21. In addition, stop pins 22 are pushed through the layer 4 of material 18 in the vicinity of the card teeth, the tips of the pins facing the oblique card teeth.

This embodiment has thefollowing advantages:

As a result of the movement occurring when the card teeth yield, the ilannel cover resting on the teeth during pressing is pulled tight and pushed forwards. This effect is largely overcome by theprovision of the smooth beads 21 on the ,tips of the teeth. The pins 22 prevent excessive compression of the resilient card covering, for example if the platens of the garment pressing machine are brought too close together.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the tips 24 of teeth 23 pushed obliquely through the layers of fabric 18, are bent slightly backwards so that the teeth are given a still greater length and resilience. In this case, too, the tips of the teeth may be provided with smooth beads.

Apart from the particularly satisfactory resilient elasticity as a result of the long resilient part of the teeth, a particular advantage of this embodiment consists in that the disadvantage of tensioning the annel cover and moving it forwards is eliminated. Moreover there is no longer any possibility of the teeth sticking out through the annel cover, particularly if `the tips of the teeth are protected by small beads.

As shown in Figures 9 and l0, the card teeth 2S are made inthe shape of an elbow. The curved portion 26 is here particularly important, because too pointed an elbow would easily be flattened out when the garmentpressing machine was closed. The upper part 27 of the teeth, which is bent in the reverse direction to that in which the teeth are inserted, is preferably not at too great an angle, e. g. 20 to 35 to the fabric base.

This embodiment also oiers the advantage that the annel cover placed 'over the garment pressing underlay is not pulled too tight. Even when their tips are not spherically thickened, the teeth cannot penetrate the actual cover; moreover there is greater stability to pressure.

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the card teeth 28 are bowed along part of their length as shown at 29 and have beads 30 at their tips. With this embodiment it is possible to place the articles being pressed directly on the tips. This prevents the underneath of the articles from becoming shiny during pressing, which may always occur to some extent if a flannel fabric is used in between. As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the card teeth 31 are pushed through the layers of fabric 18 obliquely but in such a manner that their crown 32 projects from the layer of fabric and the tips 33 stick into the layer of fabric. In this case the layer of fabric 18 may conveniently be provided with an adhesive backing 34. This embodiment also offers the advantage that a flannel or muslin cover is not displaced by the crowns 32 of the teeth in contact therewith.

As shown in Figures 15 and 16, after the crown portion 35 of the teeth has been pushed through, the tip portion 36 is bent so that the crown portion 35 runs obliquely, while the tip portion 36 is inserted perpendicularly. In this case there is the :additional advantage that a annel or muslin cover cannot be displaced, while the resilience of the crown or upper portion 35 of the teeth is even greater than in the embodiment shown in Figures 13 and 14, because, as a result of the rounding of the elbow 37, there is less friction between the textile pressing cover and the teeth.

The garment-pressing underlays described are particul-arly suitable for absorbing all pressure points which may arise as a result of buttons, slide fasteners, facings etc. Moreover the steam flowing through the holes 38 can be well distributed between the teeth. Removal by suction is also much easier than in the types of such underlays hitherto known. Moreover the resilience of the underlays according to the invention can easily be adjusted according to practical requirements by the choice of wires of various thickness and diierent angular positions.

The garment-pressing `underlays according to the invention are particularly suitable for combined use with other types of pressing underlays or as underlays for pressing sheets having a resilient fabric base. It is particularly advisable to provide the lower platen with a covering in accordance with the present invention, that is to say provided With resilient card teeth. In this manner reliable contact with the goods being pressed is ensured for the upper pressing platen while the pressure is taken up evenly, gently and resiliently, as explained above, by the lower pressing underlay.

ln particular, the construction of a garment-pressing underlay described above can be used in the form of strip for covering the rollers which may be provided on garment pressing machines, e. g. calender rollers, the trip being wound spirally, for example, on the roller in such a manner, that the total surface of the roller receives an uninterrupted resilient covering. Such garment pressing machine rollers may also be covered by means of whole sheets instead of by means of a narrow strip. The fabric base of the strip mounted on the roller may be provided with hooks or eyes to which the flannel fabric or other textile pressing material which is to be pulled over it, can be secured.

When the present invention is carried out in practice, the impregnation of the strip of fabric consisting of one or more layers may take place in various ways depending on the particular purpose for which the garment pressing underlay is intended. Whereas a comparatively rigid construction of the layer carrying the card teeth may generally be preferred for garment pressing underlays which are to be used for machine operation (steam pressing), ian impregnation which, at the end of the treatment, gives the layer of material carrying the teeth a lesser degree of rigidity is suitable for the production of garmentpressing nnderlays for hand pressing, and those which are to be used for covering the rollers of garment pressing machines, calenders and the like, so that the strip material can be wrapped evenly round the roller without any diiculty.

As shown in Figure l7, the teeth consist not of thick but of narrow, resilient lamellae 38 which are fixed un- 6 der the layer of fabric 41 or resting thereon, for example by means of rivets 39, 40. The tips 42 of the lamellae may be of any desired shape, for example bent over slightly.

I claim:

A garment underlay for pressing clothes and the like textile articles on a table or the like surface, comprising a resin-impregnated, flexible fabric body having a back surface adapted for being placed on a table or the like, and a front surface, on which the article to be pressed can be laid, and a plurality of needles extending over substantially the entire front surface of `said fabric body and having foot portions and top portions, said needles being disposed with their foot portions embedded in said fabric body zat an oblique angle relative to said front surface of said fabric body, the top portions of the needles extending above said front surface and having at least a portion thereof disposed at an oblique angle with respect to said front surface, said fabric body havinga plurality of perforations intermediate said needles for the passage of steam therethrough and characterized in that said needles are provided with little balls at their free ends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS 495,694 Duesberg-Delrez Apr. 18, 1893 944,031 Gillet Dec. 2l, 1909 1,527,513 Goldberg Feb. 24, 1925 2,002,079 Dickie May 21, 1935 2,268,459 Murray Dec. 30, 1941 2,316,557 Cady Apr. 13, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS 118,839 Australia Aug. 31, 1944 269,275 Great Britain Apr. 21, 1927 OTHER REFERENCES Polyurethane Resins, Bjorksten et al., Modern Plastics, April 1954, 5 pp. (Copy available in Div. 67 Isocyanate Digest.) 

